You might be surprised to learn that many household items were invented in Mississippi. Most people are familiar with Barq’s Root Beer, which was invented in Biloxi, but did you know that the Teddy Bear was invented in Mississippi, too? Well, kind of. We’re pretty sure. A few folks have claimed this iconic childhood toy, and Mississippi seems to be the clear winner. 

I don’t think there is a more iconic childhood toy than the Teddy Bear.
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Anytime a baby is born, someone always gifts them a Teddy Bear. They may never use it, but it’s always in the corner of the room!
But how did the Teddy Bear come to be? Well, we have President Theodore Roosevelt to thank for that.
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As the story goes, Teddy Roosevelt was on a hunting trip in Mississippi in 1902, somewhere around Onward, Mississippi.
Roosevelt was known to be a big-game hunter, and often would tour the country on hunting expeditions.
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This time, he was hunting for black bears.

After a long day with nothing to show for his efforts, one of his assistants had an idea. Not wanting the President to go home empty-handed, he trapped and tied a black bear to a tree and led Mr. Roosevelt over to it.

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While it was a nice gesture, Mr. Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear and believed that was unsportsmanlike.
Clifford K. Berryman/Wikimedia
It didn’t take long for word to spread, and once political cartoonist Clifford Berryman heard the story, he drew up a small cartoon for The Washington Post that was printed on November 16, 1902.
When Brooklyn resident Morris Michtom heard the story, he had the idea to make the bear a plush toy.
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History/Wikimedia
Michtom was inspired by the cartoon and even sent the first “Teddy Bear” to Mr. Roosevelt himself. Once he received Mr. Rosevelt’s approval to name the bear after him, Michtom began selling them. Business was so good that he was able to create his own toy company!

Now, the same year that Michtom is credited with inventing the Teddy Bear (1902), a German company also began producing these stuffed animals. Even though both were making these bears at the same time, it’s unlikely they knew about the other because of poor transatlantic communication at the time.

Pictured above is one of the original Teddy Bears from 1903. This one was made by Michtom’s son, Benjamin Michtom. It was donated to the Smithsonian in 1963, where it currently resides.
So next time you see one of these iconic bears, just remember that it all started in Mississippi!
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So while the actual Teddy Bear may not have been made in Mississippi, Mississippi surely played a role in its invention! If you’re inspired to gift a Teddy Bear to someone, this Teddy Bear is customizable!

Read on to discover even more of Mississippi’s inventions:

10 Changes And Inventions Mississippi Contributed To The History Of The World

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